It Rained That Day
by Derby
Summary: A boy (Yes, a boy!) comes to the Lodging House from England. He is sent to the orphange but escapes shortly after, when he meets the newsies, what will they think? What will change? R & R Please ^_^


A/N: It's about time I wrote a story with all the guys ^_^ Anywho, a boy arrives from England with his sister (she doesn't play a big part..) and goes through the newsie life. High times and hard times abound. R & R pleeease.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Oliver and Sophie (and the unrecognizable newsies); the newsies belong to Disney and themselves.  
  
`*`*`*`*`  
  
Gray drops melted the white snow blanketing the ground. It was cold, and wet.  
  
Oliver peered out the window of the train; he brushed back a lock of golden brown hair, the corners of his mouth tugged down.  
  
He was nearly sixteen, fairly small for his age. He didn't have the most noticeable face; he wasn't anyone to be fawned over. His twin sister, Sophie, a quiet motherly type girl, and he had been residing in England all of their lives. They were orphans like many others.  
  
Dropped at the orphanage in lower London sixteen years ago, they had no recollection of their parents, a typical story among orphans.  
  
Life at the orphanage was all right, they had to work in factories to earn their keep, a disadvantage, but they were fed and clothed with a place to sleep. The owner, Mr. Wilkes was strict but not harsh.  
  
Unfortunately, a few months back, the orphanage stopped receiving money each month to pay for the children's needs. The orphanage was closed. The orphans had two choices; Run away and make a living elsewhere, or go with the Director's orders to send them to America.  
  
Sending the orphans to America was a simple solution that would keep the orphanage issue low profile. The brave ran away to live on the streets and earn their own, but the unsure were sent away.  
  
Oliver watched the familiar scenery flash before him as the train pulled away from the station. He felt hollow knowing that where he was going, no one would be waiting for him. He had to start his life over again.  
  
"I wonder what will happen to us, Oliver. Perhaps we'll have to work in more factories," Sophie spoke up softly, her cross-stitch resting on her lap. She was no one noticeable either, her long brown hair hung nicely on her shoulders, but her gray eyes were sad and lost of their compassion.  
  
"Who knows? Probably go to another orphanage like usual." Oliver replied, fighting to stay aloof.  
  
Sophie bent her head back over her cross-stitch and returned to the calming repetitive work of sewing. She examined the rose stem curled around the words 'Beauty is within' on the white background.  
  
The two hour long journey to the port where a ship was waiting to take the orphans was tiresome. No one talked much; the sadness of leaving mixing with excitement was overwhelming.  
  
The ship was like any other, wooden and sturdy. It set sail with a sickening rock and was soon gliding across the deep ocean towards America. It would be a weeklong trip, provisions were small, but they were used to it. Orphans never had much of anything.  
  
Oliver woke with a start; the red gold sunrise shimmered on the horizon and reflected off the water. He squinted at the light pouring into the dark compartment in the ship. Rubbing his eyes, he stepped onto the deck above.  
  
The burly shipmates eyed him suspiciously as he leaned over a rail and stared into the water. The wind whipped through his hair warmly. He smiled for the first time in quite awhile. The sun smiled back at him. A few lone seagulls cried their sad cry, but Oliver just laughed. He was beginning to think America wouldn't be that bad.  
  
Sophie appeared next to him, a slight smile played across her face. She gave him a small piece of bread and traced the golden clouds with her eyes.  
  
The magical scene was a welcome change to the dank gray places they were so used to. It was a paradise all on it's own.  
  
Days later the ship came to a halt at port near a large statue of a woman wearing a long robe, the statue of Liberty. "Good Ol' Lady Liberty." One of the crew had said.  
  
"This here is New York, that man there is Mr. Harper, he'll be takin' you all where you need to be going. An orphanage I think." The Cockney-accented crewmember announced, pointing to a large, heavyset man in spats and a suit.  
  
Oliver hopped off the ship, emotions twisting inside of him. Sophie put a hand on his arm to steady herself.  
  
Manhattan, New York unfolded in front of them. People of all kinds rushed about, some richly dressed others in rags. Boys and a few girls yelled headlines everywhere, trying to earn a few cents. Factories steamed smoke, while fruit vendors proudly displayed shining apples.  
  
The smell of fresh ink and horses filled his nose. A few strangers peered at the children as they passed but walked on.  
  
A boy holding a short stack of newspapers with short curly hair pointed at the orphans and said something to a blonde boy with an eye patch beside him. The eye patched boy nodded and smiled, stepping in front of a woman to sell a paper.  
  
"Right then. I'm Mr. Harper, director of the orphanage here in Manhattan, that's where you will all be going." Harper grumbled, not seeming too pleased with his job. He led the kids into a carriage, the small amount of them that there were.  
  
"There's let's see, 12 of you. Strange. Four of you will be here in Manhattan, four will go to Brooklyn and the others will go to Queens." He said matter of factly, snapping the horses' attention.  
  
The carriage pulled off towards a large brick building with barred windows and large gates in front. The carriage stopped in front, where two nuns were waiting.  
  
"You four. Yes, the two girls and the two boys. What are your names?" Harper asked gruffly, pointing at Oliver and Sophie.  
  
Oliver and Sophie replied with their names, while the other two; Cora and Edwin said the same.  
  
"You four will stay here in Manhattan." Harper said, he dropped the four off with the nuns. The carriage pulled away, the sound of hooves fading away into a blank.  
  
The friendly, yet sympathetic nuns led the small group into the orphanage. The girls to one room, the boys to another. Once they settled, the nuns left.  
  
The other boys in Oliver and Edwin's room stared at them. Oliver claimed a bunk near the window, placing his small travel bag under it. Edwin sighed inaudibly, he always hated being new.  
  
"What're you'se names?" A small boy with dark blonde hair asked, twirling a cap around on his hand. He cocked his head.  
  
"Oliver." And "Edwin." Were his replies. The boy grinned at their accents.  
  
"Ain't from around here are ya? I'se Ten Pin." The boy said.  
  
"Well we aren't going to be here for long." Edwin grumbled, looking back at the boys who were staring. Edwin was never one to accept what he was given.  
  
"Oh no?" Ten Pin sneered, glancing towards the barred windows, "Gonna escape? Ain't nobody able to get outta here 'cept Cowboy, an' he ain't ever comin' back here."  
  
"Yeah, we're going to escape. If this 'Cowboy' can do it, so can we." Edwin said, putting an arm around Oliver who looked surprised by this new information.  
  
"Eh, well, Good luck den. You'se gonna need it." Ten Pin shrugged and climbed into his bunk.  
  
As the candles were blown out and bed beckoned, Edwin turned to Oliver, "We'll get out tomorrow, alright? They want us to work in the factories, we'll start off like we're going to work, but we just won't go, we'll run away." He concluded and snuffed a candle.  
  
"What about Sophie and Cora?" Oliver inquired. His mind whirled with the sudden idea of escaping, true, this orphanage was worse than the one in England; Warden Snyder cared for money only. But escaping, on the second day? A tough chance.  
  
  
  
In The Lodging House.  
  
"Didja see those new kids?" Mush asked the other boys, washing his face before bed.  
  
"Yeah, bet dey're havin' a great time with Snyder." Kid Blink snickered.  
  
Jack picked up a left over paper from the day and scanned the front page, "Hoid they're from England. Hoity Toity types I bet."  
  
The others laughed, and blew out the candles.  
  
--- --From the Demented Desk of Derby: So? So? So? Whaddya think? Socks and suspenders to anyone who R &R. (By the way, NO, Sophie doesn't get the main newsie, Oliver doesn't become the leader of Brooklyn after defeating Spot. This won't be the typical kind of fic that I like to write *Cough*) 


End file.
